Summer mini reviews pt 1

I'm trying to go through my huge overflowing bags of empties to put in my spreadsheet as finished for the past 1.5 years and I decided to share some mini reviews.

A bit about me: I live in France, the climate is mostly dry during summer with high UV index, rainy and humid during winter but doesn't go below 0°C.
My skin type is normal to dry during winter.
I'm usually targeting dullness and dryness.

Sulwhasoo Overnight Vitalizing Mask – this my favorite, I've went through a lot of these during the years and I always have one in stock. It always makes my skin silky smooth in the morning and it can transform 3h of sleep look like an 8. Will forever repurchase.

Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Water – I really like this toner, it has a thick consistency and it feels very hydrating. I've used it both during summer and winter and after I finished the travel sizes I have I can see myself buying it again. It has a strong ginseng scent like most of the Sulwhasoo product and I find it very relaxing. I used it during my trip to Greece recently and my skin still looks amazing, glowy and plump.

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum Ex – I feel like I'm the only person who doesn't like this serum. I don't hate it but it's really expensive and I don't think it does much more than the water, it just feels hydrating. I've used the previous version as well and I was just as unimpressed. It's okay for a vacation if you find the travel size cheaply but it's nothing special.

Sulwhasoo Bloomstay Vitalizing Cream – this cream has a really interesting whipped cheese consistently. It's very airy and light and it has a milder more inoffensive floral scent compared to most Sulwhasoo lines. Overall I love every single Sulwhasoo cream I've tried and they're excellent for moisturizing dry skin and occlusive enough to keep my skin plump all day. As far as I can see this line is discontinued but if it gets reformulated I would be interested in buying it again. I'll finish the rest of my samples with pleasure, for me it's an excellent summer day time moisturizer for when I use sunscreens with alcohol which can be drying.

Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Serum Ex – I like this serum more than the first care, it's just as expensive but the ginseng one feels more luxurious in terms of texture. Still, it's not a holy grail for me and I'm not sure I'll be interested in buying it again.

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask Ex #Berry – I don't love these but they're okay and super convenient for traveling because the packaging is really light. I have a horrible habit of biting my lips so I'm somewhat of lipstick connoisseur if you will and this lip mask doesn't make my top 5 but it's not horrible and I will finish the rest of my minis and maybe stock up again for travelling. My holy grail is Nuxe Rêve de miel but the packaging is glass and super bulky so I don't travel with it. I layer the Laneige mask on top of my lips are really bad and I usually wake up a brand new person in the morning.

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask EX – I liked the old version which was scented better but this one is okay too. This product makes an excellent makeup base for me because it leaves the skin really smooth. I don't really use it as a sleeping pack usually because it's not occlusive enough for me.

Laneige Cica Sleeping Mask – I love love this sleeping pack and I have a ton of samples for travelling as well as 2 full sizes and I already went through a few full sizes empties of it too. It's very occlusive, it leaves my skin silky smooth and it doesn't look oily at all. It's my favorite during winter to layer over another cream.

Skin Aqua UV Super Moisture Essence Gold SPF 50+ PA++++ (2023) – I like the Skin Aqua sunscreens because they're dewy and don't feel drying on my skin. I usually use them during winter but I finished this one this spring. I think this version is discontinued from what I can see which is a shame because I like it more than the regular one and it was a really good price for the size.

Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule – this my OG favorite AB serum and I've repurchased this I don't know how many times. It used to be affordable, it's really soothing, hydrating and it has good anti-aging ingredients. I've been using it since 2012 and I have strong suspicions it might be getting discontinued and it would be the end of an era for me. The Mizon snail line was the best most affordable Korean skincare line, you can't change my mind! 😅

Holika Holika Honey Sleeping Pack Blueberry – I bought this from Primor heavily discounted because it was cute and it reminded me the good old AB days. It's morning special, the texture is very silicone-y and I need to layer it over another cream but it does its job as an occlusive and I liked the scent.

Etude House Drawing Eye Brow #02 Grey Brown – this is another holy grail that I've been using for a decade and I've went through probably 10 of these. My hair is dark brown, almost black and most brow pencils look too warm on me. This shade is perfect and it looks really natural. I'll continue repurchasing as long as it doesn't get discontinued.